Sixers Notes: Bamba, Maxey, Embiid, Trade Options and other Tidbits

According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, it will be Sixers center Mohamed Bamba’s first trip to Orlando since the Magic traded him in February. Bamba was selected sixth overall in the 2018 draft, but he never grew into the starting-caliber center that Orlando had hoped for. He was traded to the Lakers at the trade deadline last year and signed with Philadelphia this summer, but he remains close to his old teammates.

“Yeah, that’s family over there, you know, all those guys,” Bamba said following the game on Monday. “I’m going to Jalen Suggs’ mom’s house tomorrow just to kick it.” But Cole (Anthony), Wendell (Carter Jr.), and Kelle (Markelle Fultz) are family. In the league, those are the players I can claim I grew up with.”

In March, the Lakers hosted the Magic, but Bamba was unable to play due to an injury. With Joel Embiid out with an ankle sprain, he’s anticipated to receive plenty of minutes today, and he’s coming off his finest game of the season, with 18 points, six rebounds, and two steals against Miami on Monday.

“It’s just a matter of getting out there and trying not to be the game, throwing out the game,” Bamba told reporters. “You don’t get enough minutes to be out there wasting minutes and figuring out the game.” But I got a chance to feel them out (during the first stretch), returned, made some adjustments, and tried to be a little more aggressive.”

There’s more on the Sixers:

• Philadelphia has lost all four games that Embiid has missed this season, and the other players have to figure out how to win without the reigning MVP, Pompey states in a separate story. He notes that Embiid’s absence has been particularly tough on Tyrese Maxey, who was limited to 12 points Monday and is averaging just 20.3 PPG while shooting 37.5% from the field and 17.3% from three-point range when Embiid hasn’t played.
• Embiid has been ruled out for tonight, but his status for Friday’s game at Houston hasn’t been determined, Pompey adds. Coach Nick Nurse is optimistic that his ankle sprain won’t be a long-term issue. “We have a very deep roster of people who can play at a high level,” Kelly Oubre said. “It’s about consistency. … So tomorrow’s a new challenge for us to show we can win without Jo. And we’ll see what happens.”
• Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks of ESPN look at the options for president of basketball operations Daryl Morey as he tries to add another star to the Sixers’ lineup. Morey’s ability to make a deal will expand January 1 when aggregate restrictions are lifted for Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, Marcus Morris and KJ Martin, who were acquired from the Clippers in the James Harden trade. The ESPN authors examine the pros and cons of trying to land a big name or some smaller pieces before the trade deadline or waiting until the offseason to make significant moves.